You can exhale now, football fans. I know you've been holding your breath since the Cavaliers started that 15-play, 90-yard fourth-quarter drive that ate up more than seven minutes and ended with only 16 seconds left in the game. But it's OK: Virginia scored a touchdown, and Maryland lost yards on the kickoff return because of a penalty. The Terrapins couldn't do anything on the last play, leaving the Cavaliers with another one-point victory. The 18-17 score is very reflective of the back-and-forth thriller played between the two teams that many predicted would occur, but the real story of the game was the show put on by a certain Virginia running back that nobody saw coming ... especially not the Maryland defense.
I can't remember the exact number of times the announcers brought up Virginia's depth chart during the game. (Nor could I count how many times they mispronounced Jameel Sewell's name.) But each time they did, it was in reference to the surprise breakout performance of reserve running back Mikell (pronounced "Mike-kell") Simpson and probably because they didn't know anything else about him. Then again, did anyone watching the game know who he was? After all, he was buried beneath Cedric Peerman, Andrew Pearman and Keith Payne on the running back depth chart when the season started. Keep this in mind as you read on, because I hope to convince you that our four-man tailback tandem, plus running quarterback Sewell, comprises a "loaded backfield" that few other teams can claim to have.
Simpson, a redshirt sophomore, tallied 16 carries for 119 rush yards and two touchdowns, as well as 13 receptions for 152 receiving yards. (That's 271 total yards if you're scoring at home.) He was slated to get some touches because injuries kept top running back Peerman out of the game; however, with Pearman seeing his only action on kickoff returns and Tom Santi leaving the game after an early first quarter injury, Simpson became much more of a target on the ground and through the air. He was clearly up to the task, as he blew past Maryland defenders with a combination of speed and shiftiness.
Just as the game this weekend showed how good Simpson can be, the previous game against Connecticut showcased the running talents of Payne, and the one before that (at Middle Tennessee State) highlighted the abilities of Pearman.
Though Payne may have only racked up 42 yards on 11 carries in addition to one reception for 16 yards against Connecticut, his 3.8 yards per carry helped pace the offense. Fans were screaming "Bring the Payne!" as he pounded his way through the defensive line and shook off the occasional linebacker.
Pearman, meanwhile, had five catches and five rushes against Middle Tennessee State for 56 and 45 yards, respectively. He also found paydirt twice, including a 21-yard touchdown run and a 5-yard scamper to give the Cavaliers an early fourth-quarter lead. (Chris Gould missed the extra point, but would atone for this error with a game-winning field goal). And yet, Pearman's nose for the end zone is secondary in terms of his other value to Virginia; his kick return ability is where he contributes most for the Cavaliers. Pearman has fielded 21 kickoffs and amassed 415 return yards, an average of 19.8 yards per return. That means that, more often than not, Virginia starts drives in better field position than a touchback would afford. In games of field position, such as the Maryland game, a few yards here and there could mean a world of difference.
And then we have Peerman, the all-purpose running back for Virginia. Peerman is second in the ACC with 97.5 rushing yards per game, and fifth in all-purpose yards per game with 128.5 (combined rushing, receiving and returning). He emerged to be the main running option for the Cavaliers early in the season, but injuries kept him out of the last two games. Before getting hurt, Peerman was simply dominant, breaking tackles and showing breakaway speed. His five rushing touchdowns lead the team, and upon his return Peerman will likely resume his starting role.
So, here's what we have in the Virginia backfield. Peerman can run through you. Pearman can run around you. Payne can run over you (in the literal meaning of the word, as seen when he went airborne trying to dive into the end zone against Connecticut). And, as he showed this past weekend, Simpson can simply run right by you. Add all that to the scrambling ability of Sewell (who seems to be racking up first downs all on his own). How many other teams have as many dangerous runners as Virginia's five? Besides Southern California, which has about 200 running backs who were all five-star recruits, there simply aren't that many colleges who have assembled such a balanced and deep running corps as Virginia, especially not in the ACC.
I won't claim that the Cavaliers have the best backfield in the nation. I will say that it is a pretty darn good one. Virginia takes on N.C. State next weekend, and if everyone is healthy, Al Groh can play around with the five cards he's been dealt: Sewell, Peerman, Pearman, Payne, Simpson. Opponents, pick your poison.
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